How You Can Dress Right to Improve Your Performance at Work

by Style Team31 Jul 2017 | 2:10 PM

Studies show that our manner of dressing actually has a psychological effect on our performance. We won't go too deep into the psychological stuff and instead tell you the bottom line-wearing smart clothes makes us smart.

You might say,"Well if smart clothes make me smart, why am I not a rocket scientist yet?"Beyond pointing out the obvious, what we wear simply has this cool effect on our mind that makes us think and act the way our clothes dictate it. It permeates the mind and our senses, and makes us act accordingly.

Simply put, if you wear a full suit, you're going to unconsciously act in a formal and professional way. Compare this to when you wear casual wear at work-we are talking about sneakers, ripped jeans and a baseball cap. Not dressing up for the kind of work we do will affect how we look at our work and performance.

Dressing Smart for Work
Smart simply means professional in the dress code sense. Formal wear doesn't necessarily mean dressing up in whole regalia and Americana all the time, though; it simply means dressing up for your part at work. Thankfully, smart and formal also includes smart casual these days. Basically, it's formal but not to the extent that we are overdressed.

Below you will find the perfect formula for a smart work outfit. With these things in your closet, you can dress for success every single day.

TOP: Polo shirts and collared shirts

These are necessities as they will serve as your backup for your more formal wear. Generally, you'll wear these if the conditions aren't optimal for wearing a complete suit and tie, such as when it's raining or the heat is simply too high. Remember that the polo or collared shirt you'll be wearing should be plain colored without too much design to be suitable for work so that you maintain an air of professionalism.

BOTTOMS: A nice pair of slacks

Before you roll your eyes and sigh heavily, it's important to note that slacks are no longer restricted to being paired with a suit or Americano. In fact, some slacks can actually be worn as part of your casual or smart casual wear. Heck, you can even wear them instead of jeans when you go hanging out with your friends. Any color would do, but avoid bright or loud colors if you're going to wear them in the office.

SHOES: Black leather shoes

Our shoes make or break our outfit, so make sure to wear the right pair for work. Make sure to have some back up so you don't wear them out quickly. Don't be afraid to try on different colors-brown and blue are both'smart'colors for shoes, even if they aren't leather.

ACCESSORY: Black or brown leather belt

Actually, it's the only other important accessory that we should wear apart from a watch, probably. Your standard brown or black leather belt is ideal; anything else is just informal.

The way we dress up has an effect on how we perform at work, so we should always dress right. If you dress up like a slob to work, you're going to work like a slob. But if you dress up in a smart and professional manner, you're actually augmenting your occupational skills and capabilities.